Klaus's POV
Two days.
Two long, excruciating days. And yet, it felt like an eternity.
I had faced wars, betrayals, and the bloodied politics of packs across continents, but nothing—nothing—compared to the agony of sitting here, powerless, waiting.
Every second without Aria chipping away at me like a relentless tide against fragile stone.
I tried to convince myself that staying busy would help. That if I buried myself deep enough into my duties as Alpha and CEO, I would somehow mute the gnawing ache in my chest.
It was a lie. A cruel, desperate lie.
Meetings blurred together, decisions made themselves with little thought, and the polished smiles of corporate partners grated on my nerves. Because no matter how much I worked, no matter how many tasks I ticked off, it didn’t change the
